President Donald Trump has called off a planned sit-down with Democratic leaders that was aimed at preventing a looming government shutdown.
The White House had been preparing for Trump to meet later this week with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government approaches. That meeting was tentatively set for Thursday.
On Tuesday, however, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not go forward with the talks. He blasted Democrats’ proposals, dismissing them as “Radical Left Policies that nobody voted for– High Taxes, Open Borders, No Consequences for Violent Criminals, Men in Women’s Sports, Taxpayer funded ‘TRANSGENDER’ surgery, and much more.”
Earlier in the day, Schumer and Jeffries had signaled their intent to use the discussion to press Trump on cost-of-living concerns and what they described as a “Republican healthcare crisis.” In a joint statement, they argued it was long past time to negotiate in good faith to prevent what they called a “Republican-caused shutdown.”
The two parties remain divided over how to keep the government running. According to Politico, Republicans favor a ‘clean’ seven-week stopgap bill with no add-ons, while Democrats have proposed a shorter four-week extension tied to additional policy measures.
Jeffries responded to Trump’s cancellation on X, accusing him of backing down and saying “Trump Always Chickens Out,” using the acronym TACO (which he coined). Jeffries said “extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”
Healthcare remains the central sticking point. Democrats want any funding package to include an extension of enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to lapse at the end of the year. Schumer, posting separately on X, noted the Jewish New Year and urged Trump to set aside his attacks. “Happy New Year, Mr. President. When you’re done with the rants, we can sit down and discuss healthcare.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., went on to tell reporters he would insist on being present if any meeting were to happen: “If there’s a meeting, I’ll absolutely be there,” Johnson said. “But I’m not convinced a meeting is necessary at this point.”
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